April 4, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Sign over garbage can

Karl Mok submits a picture taken in Ontario, Canada:

I saw this garbage can and sign in the lobby of my grandparents' apartment in Scarborough, Ontario.
Why is there a sign stating not to put your garbage in the garbage can? Is that garbage can for display purposes only?

Either 1. the garbage can is not supposed to be there, in which case the sign should read "do not put your garbage can here", or 2. you can only put someone else's garbage there (requires development of a garbage trade program)

I'm always amused by trash cans that have LITTER written on them in big letters. is it telling me to litter instead of throwing my garbage in the can? Isn't it only litter if it's not in a can? The cans should read DON'T LITTER

Blue_j is obviously right. It may be poorly worded, but the intent is that apartment residents don't put their household waste in this can, but rather use the outdoor dumpsters usually allotted for this purpose in an apartment complex.

The original post also says the can is in ontario Canada, so I suspect this is more of a winter problem, when people don't want to go outside in the cold to take out the trash, especially if its late at night or an otherwise inconvenient time.